The invention relates to self-aligned non-volatile memory cells, and more particularly to a self-aligned non-volatile memory cell that has a high capacitive coupling ratio and has a thin and small tunneling oxide region.
FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of an EEPROM 100 (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) as depicted in FIG. 18 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,096 which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. With reference to FIG. 1 of the present application, a deep n-well 23 is formed inside a p-type substrate 40, and N-channel and memory cell devices are defined. N-channel stages and field oxide are formed around the device areas. Channel stops and field oxide are formed by thermally growing a thin oxide layer, depositing a 1000-2500 xc3x85 thick nitride layer and removing the nitride from non-device areas, implanting boron ions around the N-well and N-channel device areas, then driving in the boron and thermally growing oxide in the non-device areas not covered by nitride.
The process continues by implanting a first species of N-type impurity in a portion of the memory cell device area, thermally growing a first oxide layer 59, defining a window therein over the impurity implant, implanting a second species of N-type impurity into the window hole, and regrowing a thick oxide layer in the window. Next, a 2500-3400 xc3x85 thick polycrystalline silicon (xe2x80x9cpolysiliconxe2x80x9d) layer is deposited, and removed with the first oxide layer to form the floating gate 71. A second oxide layer is thermally grown at a temperature of 1000-1050xc2x0 C. which ensures that this second oxide layer has a substantially uniform thickness over both the polysilicon floating gate and the substrate. After adjusting the threshold of any enhancement devices, a second gate layer, of either polysilicon or a polysilicon/silicide sandwich, is deposited and selectively removed with the second oxide layer to define gates 95 and 97 for peripheral devices, as well as a second polysilicon gate 99 that, along with floating gate 71, forms a memory cell 30. Sources 105 and drains 107 are then formed using the polysilicon gates of the particular device as a self-aligning mask.
The process concludes by defining a double layer of conductive lines in the following manner. First, a boron/phosphorus-doped silica glass 121 covering is applied, contact holes 123 are etched, and the glass is heated to its flow temperature to round the corners of the contact holes. A first layer of conductive lines 131 is then defined. An insulative intermetal layer 133 is deposited, etched back and redeposited to form a substantially planar surface. Via holes 135 are wet/dry etched and the second layer of conductive lines 137 is then defined. A passivation layer 139 can be deposited over the second metal layer 137, or for single metal layer devices, over the first metal layer 131.
EEPROM 100 can program/erase faster if its coupling ratio can be made higher. Coupling ratio of memory cell 30 (and also of EEPROM 100) is the ratio of a first capacitance (not shown) formed between control gate 99 and floating gate 71 of cell 30 over a second capacitance (not shown) formed between floating gate 71 and p-substrate 40 of cell 30. The first and second capacitances are in series; therefore, when the coupling ratio of memory cell 30 increases, with other factors being the same, the voltage drop between floating gate 71 and p-substrate 40 of cell 30 also increases. As a result, it is easier for electrons to tunnel through thin tunnel oxide layer 59 into floating gate 71. In other words, programming cell 30 becomes faster.
There are at least two methods to increase the coupling ratio of memory cell 30. A first method is to increase the first capacitance formed between control gate 99 and floating gate 71 of cell 30. One way to do this is to increase the overlapping area between control gate 99 and floating gate 71 of cell 30.
A second method is to decrease the second capacitance formed between floating gate 71 and p-substrate 40 of cell 30. This can be done by reducing the overlapping area between floating gate 71 and p-substrate 40 of cell 30. It should be noted that although increasing the thickness of a dedicated tunnel oxide region 59 between floating gate 71 and p-substrate 40 of cell 30 would decrease the second capacitance and hence increase the coupling ratio, that would also make it much harder for electrons to tunnel through the tunnel oxide region 59. Therefore, as a compromise, the dedicated tunnel oxide layer 59 should be thinner at only a small portion of the tunnel oxide region 130 to serve as a pathway for electrons to tunnel from p-substrate 40 into floating gate 71 and should be thicker at the rest of tunnel oxide region 59.
However, there is still room for improvement using the second method mentioned above. It is the object of the present invention to improve upon the prior art method of decreasing the second capacitance formed between the floating gate and the p-well or p-substrate, by providing a method of forming a memory cell in which the tunnel oxide region is thinner at a small portion in order to create a pathway for electrons to tunnel into the floating gate, while having the tunnel oxide region remain thicker at other places.
The non-volatile memory cell of the present invention has a small sidewall spacer electrically coupled and being located next to a main floating gate region. Both the small sidewall spacer and the main floating gate region are formed on a substrate and both form the floating gate of the non-volatile memory cell. Both are isolated electrically from the substrate by an oxide layer which is thinner between the small sidewall spacer and the substrate; and is thicker between the main floating gate region and the substrate. The small sidewall spacer can be made narrow; therefore, the thin portion of the oxide layer can also be made small to create a small pathway for electrons to tunnel into the floating gate.